An Angel Sanctuary Epic
by Mchan3
Summary: ~*COMPLETE*~ Alternate universe featuring Angel Sanctuary characters. It centers around Setsuna, an average guy who wants to know the meaning of his existence. He meets Katou and Kira and experiences true friendship, love, and loyalty.
1. The Beginning

Author's Note: Most of the characters' names are different in this fic. It was originally a school assignment and I got carried away, but by then, the names were stuck.  
  
Cedric: Setsuna  
  
Kalem: Kira  
  
Rafe: Katou  
  
Dardelan: Rociel  
  
Dameon: Katan  
  
And the 411: I am not Kaori Yuki nor do I own her characters or storylines. I am not Isobelle Carmody nor do I own the names of her characters.  
  
Please remember that this is an ALTERNATE universe and has absolutely NOTHING to do with the original Angel Sanctuary manga or OVA series. Enjoy!  
  
An Angel Sanctuary Epic  
  
Chapter 1: "The Beginning"  
  
Introduction  
  
Long ago, the gods created a world called Assiah. For thousands of years, Assiah flourished with beautiful mountains, flowing streams, lush valleys and enchanting forests. The only inhabitants of the land were animals. Then one day, the great Goddess Alexiel created man. She taught them the higher virtues of love, loyalty, heroism, and fortitude that placed these humans as the highest mortal existence on Assiah. The humans lived by her teachings for many peaceful centuries. But as the years passed, they began to forget the Goddess's teachings. They grew lazy and corrupted by money and greed. Horrible emotions began to erupt in the humans' hearts—jealousy, envy, despair, and hate. They committed crimes and fought amongst themselves. Instead of working together, as they had been told, they rebelled against each other and fought for power and control.  
  
Alexiel was enraged and displeased with such behavior and sent down a warning. For three months, the humans suffered humungous earthquakes, treacherous floods, monstrous tornadoes, and brutal hurricanes.  
  
Finally, when all the havoc ceased, Alexiel decided that the humans, no matter how many punishments she sent them, would never learn from their mistakes. There would always be new generations of humans who would forget the plagues and become wild again. So instead of punishing them every time their behavior got out of hand, she chose two humans every hundred years to decide the fate of the world—a Child of Purity, who would defend mankind, and a Child of Darkness who would end man's existence. If, at the time of the Duel, humankind was able to prove that they still possessed the qualities of honor and love that made them unique through the Child of Purity, mankind would continue to flourish. However, if the last bit of hope and morality had gone out of humans, they would be destroyed.  
  
****  
  
Cedric Tirrigen jumped up and out of the way of an enraged man who came charging angrily at him. The man went sprawling into the side of the village well with a nasty sounding crash. He whirled around to face Cedric who was standing quite at ease in the same spot he was before, a mocking smirk on his face.  
  
"You wipe that look off your face!" the man growled, and prepped for another charge.  
  
"Don't tell me what to do. You're the one who started the fight!" Cedric replied, his bright green eyes glinting in the sunshine.  
  
"Tell me the truth now, boy! Did you or did you not sleep with my sister?" the man spat.  
  
"Sleep with your sister? Isabelle? No, no, of course not." He smiled and added, "of course we considered it a couple of times on our long nights together." The man roared and charged again.  
  
"I'll kill you, you little bastard!!!" he screamed, dashing at him again. Cedric sidestepped the attack and caught the man in a neat flip over his shoulder.  
  
He twisted the man's arm around his back and landed him a hard blow on the side of his jaw.  
  
The man crashed into the well again and sagged to the floor. Cedric wiped away the beads of sweat that had gathered on his upper lip and walked over to where the man sat. The man gazed up groggily at him and shrank away.  
  
"D-don't kill me!" He pleaded, barely holding on to consciousness.  
  
"What are you talkin' about?" Cedric gave the man a slightly irritated look. "I'm not gonna kill you. Why would you think that? It was just a friendly fight! Come on!" He carelessly kicked the man over a wall and into a trough on the other side. Cedric smirked at the man.  
  
"Okay, nap time's over. You better wake up or someone will steal your purse if you sleep here all day!"  
  
The man groaned. "I've… never seen anyone fight like you… It's incredible, you look like such a shrimp, too…"  
  
Cedric shrugged nonchalantly. I've always had some strange adeptness for fighting. No one's ever really taught me how, but I've got this ability to fight. I don't like fighting. It just happens sometimes. In this town, everyone fights. Everyone has to defend himself. I guess we're all fight- crazy!  
  
The man hauled himself out of the trough and glanced over the wall just in time to catch a glimpse of Cedric's auburn hair disappear into the swarming crowd of the village.  
  
"That kid," he muttered, "I don't understand him at all… Why did he let me go? People are so merciless these days… But he acted like my life actually meant something to him. Why? He must really be strong."  
  
****  
  
Cedric walked down the streets and looked up nervously at the once sunny sky which was now covered with dark clouds promising rain. He shivered and drew his cloak around him more tightly.  
  
As he walked, Cedric began thinking about the events he'd just experienced.  
  
We fight so much here. Why? What's to gain if we fight each other rather than fight together? Why do we exist? To fight? What's the meaning of our lives? The meaning of mine?  
  
He often thought about these things. Always questioned the reason for his existence. Ever since he could remember, he always felt as though there were some deeper meaning for his life than what the world showed him. He always felt that there was something special about him that set him apart from others. It never made him arrogant or condescending or disdainful, but he couldn't help it. He always felt that he belonged elsewhere.  
  
As he passed by a dark alley, he heard strange noises from the shadows. Cedric thought the strange rustling sounds were of cloaks and the padding of booted feet on the ground.  
  
Oh great, he thought, another fight. Can't I go out for a nice walk without running into at least five fights in one day?!  
  
Now irritated, he strode unfalteringly into the dark alley without a single backward glance. As he drew nearer to the end of the alley, the sounds became more distinct and harsh.  
  
"All right, you thugs!" Cedric called to them. "Come out and fight like men! Who're you robbing now? A helpless—" But before he could finish his sentence, a fist struck him out of nowhere. It landed solidly on his face and sent him slamming into one of the alley walls. He hit the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of him, but quickly jumped back onto his feet and crouched into a defensive position. But by the time he was alert and ready to fight, the mysterious figures had vanished.  
  
"That's odd," Cedric rubbed his head and glanced around. "Where did they all go? There were about five of them… They were all dressed in black—that's why I couldn't see them…" He stood deep in thought in the dank alley for a few moments, until a soft moan somewhere near his feet interrupted his chain of thoughts. He glanced down and noticed the badly beaten body of a man lying on the ground in a pool of blood. He quickly bent down next to the man and tried to lift him.  
  
"No, don't," the man groaned and struggled out of Cedric's hold.  
  
"Are you crazy? I've got to get you to a doctor!" Cedric exclaimed. But the man merely sank back down to lie in Cedric's arms. There was a deep wound in the middle of his chest surrounded by other smaller cuts that covered his arms and legs as well.  
  
"If I don't get you to a doctor, you'll die!" Cedric tried again. The man chuckled and laid his head back and gazed up into Cedric's face. His dark red hair was oddly bright and made a strange contrast to the dark atmosphere. He made a ghastly image, smiling as the blood oozed out of him. Suddenly, his face broke into a shocked, panic-stricken expression.  
  
"You," he whispered fiercely, "I must give you something." He dug around in his breast pocket frantically until he brought out what looked like an egg. A very beautiful, bejeweled egg. Its shell seemed to be made of pure gold, and large gems of precious stone adorned its sides. It emitted a strange glow and seemed to light up the dark alley.  
  
"You must keep this," the man said in a very serious tone. "Guard it with your life. It is the key." Cedric stared transfixed at the precious treasure. Then his attention snapped back to the dying man in his arms. "What? Why are you giving this to me?"  
  
"It seems," the man croaked, his voice becoming softer, "that you should have it. There is a light about you… your wings, they're so beautiful."  
  
"What wings? What light?" Cedric demanded.  
  
"You have the gift." The man's voice was almost inaudible now. "You are the One."  
  
"What? Wait!" Cedric shook the man as his eyelids drooped. "You—you're not going to die, are you? Hey!" He patted the man's cheeks as he let out a final rattling breath. Cedric held the man's limp body in his arms until it grew cold, tears streaming down his face.  
  
Why? Why did he die? Why are we here?  
  
****  
  
Cedric walked slowly into a nearby tavern, slightly dazed from the strange event that had just occurred. Outside, the threatening clouds had finally broken open; the heavens seemed to be crying, echoing Cedric's dark mood.  
  
After placing his order in faltering words, he noticed a man with dark hair watching him from a corner of the bar with an odd expression on his face. On his belt, he wore a long thin sword with a plain sheath. Not in the mood for socializing, Cedric dismissed him from his mind quickly and found a secluded table for himself.  
  
Still a bit dazed, he felt the weight of the jeweled egg in his pocket and removed it to his palm. He stared at it in wonder, marveling at its beauty and trying to figure out why the man had given it to him—a total stranger.  
  
That man…so strange, he thought. His eyes were so clear. Not like the eyes of the people around here. His had a sparkle to them.  
  
Then Cedric noticed a heavy-set, well-dressed man approaching his table, a velvet purse in his pudgy fingers. He came and sat down in the chair across from Cedric.  
  
"That's quite a treasure you've got there," he began. He had an oily sort of voice that Cedric didn't like. "Such a treasure could bring you some danger if it is not concealed and well guarded." He paused for a moment and emptied his purse on the table. "Fifty coins. I'd like to buy that egg off of you, boy." Cedric stared down at the pile of gold coins on the table.  
  
"Geez, you really get right to the point, don't you?" Cedric quickly summed up the money on the table. "Fifty coins?!" he choked. Then his expression changed from astonishment to a sly smile. "Nah, I can't sell this thing. It's really precious to me." The man frowned and pulled out another purse and poured out about another twenty coins.  
  
"Seventy coins."  
  
"As sorry as I am, bud, I can't sell this. It's very, very precious to me!" Cedric exclaimed dramatically. I wonder how much this guy's willing to pay, he thought deviously. The man poured out the rest of the contents in his purse. "One hundred." He pursed his lips and looked slightly irritated now. "That's my final offer."  
  
Cedric stared down at the small fortune laid out in front of him and then back up at the man. He grinned and picked the egg up in his hand.  
  
"It's all yours, sir," he lifted his hand to offer the egg to the man when a hand came from behind him and caught his wrist in an iron grip. He craned his neck around to see who had stopped him.  
  
It was the dark haired young man who had been watching him when he entered the tavern. The expression on his handsome face was unreadable and his cold auburn eyes glared at the fat man. Then he turned his piercing gaze on Cedric.  
  
"I wouldn't get rid of this so quickly if I were you," he said quietly. As their eyes locked, Cedric felt a shock of sensation; his stomach plunged as if he was jumping off a high cliff. Then a strange warm sensation engulfed him, strange noises ringing through his ears. He tried to look away, feeling uncomfortable under the intense stare, but found that his eyes were fastened to the stranger's.  
  
The fat man broke the tense silence. "Who are you? Go away! Can't you see we're trying to make a transaction here?" His sagging cheeks seemed to puff out even more than they already were. The stranger looked back at the man, irritated. His eyes hardened and seemed to shoot fire as they glared at the man.  
  
"The deal's off. Go away."  
  
The fat man seemed to shrink away from him and crawled away obediently. The young man sat down in the vacated seat across from Cedric.  
  
"So," he began in a smooth voice, "you've got quite a treasure there."  
  
"What? Are you interested in buying it off of me, too?" Cedric asked. "Well, unless you're willing to pay more than that guy, you're not getting your hands on this." The man shook his head in response.  
  
"No, I don't want your egg. I was simply admiring it. Saving you from something you might regret someday."  
  
"This egg?" Cedric choked down a laugh.  
  
"Laugh all you want, my friend, but you'll see it is worth more than all the money in the world. May I?"  
  
Cedric only hesitated for a moment. For some reason, he felt he could trust the long-haired stranger.  
  
"Sure."  
  
His companion reached across the table with graceful but strong hands and picked the egg up gently. He brought it close to his face and examined it for a long time. Something like recognition passed over his face for a moment. Then he handed it back to Cedric who commenced to study it.  
  
"It's just a decoration, right?" Cedric said. "Nothing but a pretty display piece for nobles." He looked up to see the stranger watching him closely. "Do you know what this thing is?"  
  
"It's invaluable for sure." He set both his elbows on the table and rested his chin on entwined fingers. "Where did you get it?"  
  
"This, uh, guy… just now. He was attacked in an alley near here by some guys in black clothes." The stranger's eyes seemed to widen but resumed their composure in a split second. Cedric continued, "I found him right after they'd beaten him up. He was a wreck. There was no way he could've…" His voice trailed away at the stranger's expression. He seemed to be staring off into space with a look of concern and despair. For a long time, they sat in silence.  
  
"How," asked the stranger finally, "did this man look?" Cedric shrugged.  
  
"Uh, somewhere in his twenties, average height, bright red hair…" he trailed away at the stranger's astonished look. "You knew him?"  
  
"What did he say to you?" the stranger interrupted.  
  
Slightly taken aback by the sudden abruptness, Cedric answered more timidly, "He said I should have the egg. And that I had beautiful wings. I'm not sure what he meant, maybe he was talkin' about my cloak." Cedric shrugged again. The stranger stared at the table, his broad shoulders tense, eyes opened wide in what seemed like dreadful realization. Then as if he had heard nothing, his face resumed all composure and his body relaxed. Then he stood up as if about to leave.  
  
"You keep that egg," his voice was sharp and serious, with a slight air of command in it. "Keep it safe." He swept his long black cloak around him and walked past Cedric's seat. For a moment, Cedric sat in his chair, dumbfounded about everything that had happened. Then he grabbed the egg, shoved it in his pocket and rushed after the stranger.  
  
He ran out of the tavern just in time to the see the stranger walking briskly down the muddy streets. He called, "Wait a sec! Who are you?" The stranger stopped for a moment and turned his head slightly to look at Cedric over his shoulder, the rain pouring down on him.  
  
"You can call me Kalem. Just Kalem." With that, he vanished into the darkness; the endless rain closed around him like a thick cold curtain.  
  
****  
  
A woman stood in a beautiful courtyard. Her long, flowing hair was as dark as the star-filled sky above. She wore long silk robes of blue and white; the trimmings lined with gold. Her face was delicate as a feather yet her expression was strong and determined, a very regal air about her. She seemed to be waiting for something. For someone.  
  
From somewhere to the side, the sound of trickling water could be heard. Then the sound of light footsteps. The woman looked up and stared at a passageway between two tall walls of a hedge maze adorned with white roses.  
  
The footsteps grew louder until finally a girl emerged from the passageway. Her long golden hair flowed freely down her back and her cheeks were flushed and pink from running. Her deep blue eyes sparkled as blue as the sea but looked soulful and mournful. But when she saw the dark haired woman, a smile lit her face.  
  
"Great Alexiel," she said in a soft delicate voice. "You came. I'm so glad you could make it."  
  
"I had to come," Alexiel answered in a voice that was gentle but powerful as well. "You have a right to know what is to become of this world."  
  
"And what is to become of it?" the girl asked, her smile fading. Alexiel stared hard at the girl, her expression hard as stone.  
  
"It is to be destroyed. The great Adam Kadman has told a prophecy that the world will not continue. It cannot be helped. The Child of Purity has not been located. It may be too late now to find him and train him to prepare for the battle. The Child of Darkness is already prepared."  
  
"No! That cannot be!" the girl protested. "Is there nothing I can do to help? There must be. Perhaps I can find the Child of Purity." She looked up at Alexiel pleadingly. But Alexiel shook her head.  
  
"No, there is nothing to be done. Even if you do succeed in finding the one, the time of Dueling is much too close. He will not be prepared and shall perish in battle."  
  
"But surely," the young girl pleaded, "it does not matter how much he has prepared. The outcome of the battle is based on the pureness of humans. They have proven themselves worthy." Alexial shook her head.  
  
"Now that the prophecy has been told, it cannot be defied. It is definite that Assiah will not continue. All humans and living beings will be destroyed."  
  
"No! No!" the girl screamed. Tears began to flow down her cheeks and dripped down her white dress. "There must be a way… There must be a way to save Assiah…"  
  
Then suddenly, she seemed to look directly at Cedric.  
  
"Help me. Please help me save Assiah."  
  
Cedric's eyes flew open. His body was soaked with perspiration and his chest heaved up and down.  
  
Just a dream…he thought, desperately trying to calm himself. Just a dream…  
  
When he regained his composure, he thought of the dream again, unable to sleep.  
  
That was the third time this week that I've had that dream. It's that egg. I know it is! Ever since I got that stupid thing I've been having these nightmares. And every single time, it's the same. The woman and the girl talk about the world ending and the girl asks me for help. Why? What does this mean?  
  
He was about to stand up to get some water when he noticed that he was not alone in his room. There was a dark figure bending over his bureau. The figure seemed to be digging through Cedric's possessions. Then, something glinted in the moonlight. Something bright and shining was in the thief's hand. It was the egg.  
  
Without thinking twice, Cedric jumped out of bed and tackled the thief.  
  
"That's MY egg!" he shouted. They wrestled around a bit until Cedric finally managed to pin the thief down and grabbed the egg out of his hands. He tied the thief's hands behind his back with some yarn on the bureau. Then he threw the thief on his bed and lit a candle.  
  
In the light, he could see the thief more clearly. He was tall and slender with longish blond hair and cunning eyes. He was dressed all in black with a black mask over his face as well.  
  
"Why did you want to steal my egg?" he demanded. "And who the heck are you?" The thief's eyes seemed to mock him but he said nothing. Cedric tossed his head impatiently and placed his hands on his hips.  
  
"You're not going to tell me, are you?" he asked annoyed. "Well, then, let's see what you're hiding under that mask of yours." He reached over to pull the mask off but the thief jerked his head away.  
  
"No! Don't!" He said in an alarmed voice. Cedric grinned.  
  
"Ah, so the thief has a voice. What're you hiding? A huge pimple?!"  
  
"What the heck did you say, you little bug?! I do NOT have a pimple!" His voice was deep but youthful. He seemed about Cedric's age.  
  
"And the thief has a temper, too." Cedric smirked. "So, ya gonna tell me what I wanna know or do you want me to rip off your mask?"  
  
"What d'ya wanna know?" the thief asked nervously.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"A hired thief. What do I look like? A belly dancer?"  
  
"Attitude…" Cedric growled annoyed. "Who hired you?"  
  
"Can't tell ya!" the thief grinned ridiculously (or so it looked that way from under the mask). "Bound by thieves' honor." He raised his right hand and saluted.  
  
"What? Thieves don't have honor!" Cedric protested.  
  
The thief grinned. "Sure we do." Cedric felt his blood beginning to boil in annoyance.  
  
"All right… why do you want my egg?"  
  
"What? I don't want your egg. I'm just getting it for someone who does. And no, I do not know what the egg is or does. You'll have to ask Uriel yourself…ahhh…" his voice trailed away as he gazed at the realization dawning on Cedric's face.  
  
"Who's Uriel—" but before Cedric could finish, the thief jumped onto the window sill with the egg in his hands, calling, "And this is where I take my leave."  
  
"Wait! I thought you were tied up!" Cedric cried.  
  
"Well, I am a thief! We're known for our stealth! See ya!" He winked a cheeky salute and jumped out the window.  
  
"Hey, wait!!!" Cedric screamed after him and flew right out the window in hot pursuit of the thief. He landed on a nearby roof and rolled onto his feet. When he looked up, he saw the thief staring down at him, perched on the chimney of the roof. He looked startled at what Cedric had done but regained control of his senses and leapt onto another roof. Cedric followed close behind.  
  
They flew over rooftops, silent and graceful as a pair of cats roaming the night. The thief was agile and slender and could easily fit through narrow places. His pace was strenuous and it seemed that he could go on forever as swift as light, but Cedric pursued relentlessly and the thief soon began to slow down. Cedric noticed his faltering and quickened his own pace. Now almost three feet behind him, he stretched out his arm to its full length. Almost… Cedric thought, Almost got you…  
  
SMACK!  
  
The thief stopped abruptly and Cedric went crashing into his back. Only when the two were falling in midair did he realize why the thief had stopped so suddenly. He'd come to the end of the roofs and buildings and had been balancing precariously on the edge of a very high precipice. Unfortunately, Cedric slamming into the thief's back was enough to wreck that delicate balance.  
  
The two screamed the entire length of the fall and luckily landed on a stack of hay in a tangle of arms and legs. The thief quickly untangled himself from Cedric and hopped down to the ground. He set off at a mad run again down the dark streets.  
  
"Won't this guy ever give up?!" Cedric leaped to his feet and followed suit. Why does he want that thing so badly? he wondered. He finally chased the thief into a wide alley with high walls all around. At the end of the passage was a high wooden fence. Dead end.  
  
"So," Cedric panted, out of breath, "finally had enough? You thought you could out run me. Well, ha! I proved you wrong!" He grinned and wiped sweaty hairs from his forehead.  
  
"Damn, you're persistent." The thief looked up and glared at Cedric. "Fine. Take your stupid egg." Cedric smiled and reached out his hand, "Over my dead body, punk!" The thief landed him a sharp blow on the side of his head. Cedric gasped and fell on the ground. Everything went black for a moment, but he regained consciousness in a few moments and sat up. He felt lightheaded and dizzy from the blow.  
  
He expected to see the thief long gone, but when he looked up, he found the thief sprawled out on the ground, a large bump on his temple. Two dark, elegantly-booted feet stood at the thief's head. Cedric glanced up to see that the feet were attached to Kalem, the mysterious man he had met a few days ago in the tavern. He was looking down at the thief disapprovingly, shaking his head.  
  
"Still stealing for those cookies, Rafe?" He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. Then he glanced over to Cedric. "Are you okay, kid? Can you stand up?"  
  
****  
  
"So I take it you two know each other?" Cedric asked eyeing the two young men across the table from him. He sipped his cocoa waiting for a reply. Kalem looked sideways at the thief and then back at Cedric.  
  
"Yes," he answered in that low, silky voice Cedric remembered from the time they had first met. "Rafe and I are old comrades."  
  
"Gosh, Kalem, what are you doing here? I thought you'd died somewhere on the other side of the continent." The thief, now known as Rafe, looked down at his gloved hands sulkily.  
  
"Aw, so eager to be rid of me?" Kalem smiled sardonically. Rafe didn't answer so Kalem continued, "So what were you two kids doing out so late jumping around on rooftops?" Cedric blushed at being called a "kid" by someone who looked only about two years older than he was.  
  
"That guy stole my egg," Cedric whined. "You know, the one I was going to sell in the tavern."  
  
"Who hired you, Rafe?" Kalem turned to the blond thief. Rafe cleared his throat.  
  
"Thieves' Honor," he held his right hand up again, "can't tell you who—"  
  
"Cut the mush and tell me who sent you," Kalem interrupted. "And what is with that mask of yours?" He reached across the table and ripped the black scarf from Rafe's face.  
  
"Hey, Kalem!" Rafe cried out and covered his face with his hands, "Give it back!"  
  
"No," Kalem answered firmly. "Not until you tell us who sent you." His eyes suddenly dropped down to Rafe's shirt and studied an odd looking food stain. He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Agh, I should have known. It's that guy you were working for a few years ago. Uh, what was his name," he waved his hand absentmindedly, "Oreo, or something."  
  
"It's Uriel!" Rafe snapped. "You haven't changed at all, Kale! You're still the same old—"  
  
"Uriel? Who is this Uriel guy anyway?" Cedric asked curiously.  
  
Kalem chuckled and answered, "Uriel is a very powerful wizard. Probably the most powerful in the world. He's been around for… oh, hundreds of years, I'd guess… Time magic, you know. These days, he's cooped himself up in a tower somewhere in the Forbidden Mountains."  
  
"Powerful wizard… hundreds of years old?!" Cedric gawked. "So… why does he want my egg?"  
  
"Uriel is known for collecting strange and impossible-to-find treasures. He hires thieves, mercenaries—" he eyed Rafe through the corner of his eye, "idiots with too much time on their hands, and the like to find and bring these things to him." Rafe fumed quietly in the background.  
  
"Your egg is quite an interesting treasure, don't you agree?" Kalem rested his chin lightly in one of his hands. "A noble like Uriel would definitely want to get his hands on it." Cedric suddenly jumped out of his chair, a look of fanatical eagerness on his face.  
  
"That's it!" he cried, waving his arms around, gesticulating, "That's it! Uriel! This guy's been around for hundreds of years, right?!" Kalem nodded slowly. "Then he's got to know everything there is to know about this world! He's got to have some clue about how it was in the beginning and why we're all here! He's got the answers to my questions!"  
  
"Questions on what?" Rafe asked curiously.  
  
"Life! Questions on life!" Cedric cried rapturously.  
  
"You've lost you're marbles, kid," Rafe said. Cedric leaned down next to him and gripped his shoulders firmly.  
  
"Haven't you ever wondered about this world? Why we're here? What our existence means?" Rafe stared at him surprised. When he didn't answer, Cedric continued, "These questions have been bothering me my whole life! No one's ever bothered to tell me the answers. Heck, no one's ever known them!" He turned to Kalem and said, "I'm gonna go see this Uriel guy. Can you tell me how to get to his tower?" Kalem studied him silently for a moment, then nodded.  
  
"I'll come with you."  
  
"Great!" Cedric grinned and slapped his shoulder. "Thanks a lot!"  
  
"Of course," Kalem added, "I'm not exactly sure where it is."  
  
"Well that's my cue!" Rafe suddenly exclaimed. "Now if you don't mind, I'm just gonna leave right about now—" He rose to leave, but Kalem reached out a long arm and caught him by the back of his shirt.  
  
"Not so fast, blondie," Kalem said, "you're coming with us, too. Someone's gotta take us there."  
  
****  
  
End of Part 1  
  
Did you like it? PLEASE REVIEW THEN!!! I'm not sure if I'll write a second chapter, so please be sure to review and tell me what YOU think! Thanks! 


	2. Uriel's Tower

Author's Note: Most of the characters' names are different in this fic. It was originally a school assignment and I got carried away, but by then, the names were stuck.  
  
Cedric: Setsuna  
  
Kalem: Kira  
  
Rafe: Katou  
  
Dardelan: Rociel  
  
Dameon: Katan  
  
And the 411: I am not Kaori Yuki nor do I own her characters or storylines. I am not Isobelle Carmody nor do I own the names of her characters.  
  
Please remember that this is an ALTERNATE universe and has absolutely NOTHING to do with the original Angel Sanctuary manga or OVA series. Enjoy!  
  
And thank you to all my reviewers! Especially to Belial, the very first one! But it would be ideal to get MORE reviews, being the ham I am! Please, if you enjoyed this fic, recommend it to others! Yes! That's what MoogleChan needs to fuel the engine and keep writing!!! REVIEWS!!!!  
  
  
  
An Angel Sanctuary Epic  
  
Chapter 2: "Uriel's Tower"  
  
"Well, here we are," Rafe said as he and his companions emerged from a low grove, "Welcome to 'Nightfall Reverie'— also known as Uriel's tower."  
  
Cedric looked up at the dark, massive tower before him. It was the tallest building he had ever seen in his life. The walls were made of glossy black obsidian and a spiral staircase wound its way around the whole tower. At the top of the stairs, Cedric could make out a tiny set of wooden doors.  
  
"Whoa," Cedric breathed, "It's… big!"  
  
"To say the least," Rafe laughed. Kalem cocked his head up and looked the building up and down. Then he sighed quietly. Cedric thought he heard him mutter under his breath.  
  
"It's… been a while, Uriel."  
  
"Did you say something, Kalem?" Cedric asked.  
  
"No, nothing," Kalem said quickly, "Let's start climbing."  
  
The trio started up the stone steps silently. The tower had a forbidding sort of atmosphere. Cedric felt that if he were to break the mysterious silence, some strange creature would hop out of nowhere and attack him. The other two must have felt the same way because neither of them was very conversational.  
  
When they finally reached the top of the stairs, the tiny wooden entryway that Cedric saw before was now a pair of massive, solid oak doors. There was a tiny ledge in front of the doors, just wide enough for the three of them to stand closely together. To the left of the doors, there was a long thick rope connected to a large, shiny, bronze bell. Rafe reached out to grasp the rope and rang the bell.  
  
At first, everything was silent except for the ringing bell echoing over the mountains. Then suddenly, the doors swung open rapidly to reveal a dark entranceway. Cedric jumped back a few steps and almost tipped over the ledge, but Kalem reached out, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him back onto the ledge.  
  
"Careful, kid," he hissed and pulled him close. Cedric shivered and nodded.  
  
"So, shall we go?" Rafe waved his hand at the open doors.  
  
Rafe snatched a small torch from the wall inside and lit it. In the center of the room, there was a wide staircase covered by a crimson floor covering leading to a second story. The walls were decorated with long black tapestries lined with gold. There were huge paintings beside the tapestries of men and women wearing very old-fashioned clothing.  
  
"Welcome back, Rafe." A deep voice cut through the thick silence. Cedric whirled around to look at the top of the wide staircase. There, on the very top of the stairs stood a tall figure, hidden in shadows. "And I see you've brought guests."  
  
"Y-you're Uriel, the greatest wizard in the world who's hundreds and hundreds of years old?!" Cedric choked, feeling small and inferior.  
  
"Yes, I am Uriel," he answered and added quietly, "do not talk about my age, please."  
  
"Oh! S-sorry!" Cedric quickly apologized and looked frantically at Kalem who merely stood and watched the dark figure with an impassive expression. "W-well, your highness—er—your greatness, uh, Mr. Uriel, sir, um, we're here to, uh, ask you—" Cedric stuttered stupidly, awed by the powerful presence he was addressing. So silent, so stately, so—  
  
"Okay! Cut the crud, Uriel!" Rafe cut in, placing his hands on his hips. "Come down here and quit being creepy."  
  
"Silence, mortal," Uriel boomed, "Show respect to your master." Still obscured by the shadow, he began to descend the stairs, gliding silently. Cedric could feel the cold sweat of anxiety running down his back. He wondered just how willing the dark wizard would be to answer his questions. He looked up and noticed that Uriel was speaking again, nearly at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Do not think so highly of yourself that you may invade my grand abode and demand of me what you—" Suddenly, his foot caught on a bump in the rug and he came crashing down the rest of the stairs in a tumbling heap.  
  
Rafe sighed and shook his head, gazing down at the groaning heap of dark colored robes at his feet.  
  
"I told you to get rid of this stupid rug!" he muttered, offering Uriel his hand, "What is it? Two hundred years old now?"  
  
"Ugh," Uriel groaned, taking Rafe's hand and climbing to his feet, "I told the servants to order a new one, but they don't make them in this size anymore." Up close, Cedric was surprised to see that Uriel didn't look quite as ancient and powerful as he had thought at first. In fact, he looked no older than perhaps forty, and his sweeping, wavy mane of rich brown hair and smooth brown skin made him look rather pretty, and not foreboding at all.  
  
"Geh," Rafe laughed dryly, "Anyway, I'm here for my payment, and these guys are here for some info."  
  
"And my egg?" Uriel asked, brushing his robes off.  
  
"Uh, it's here, sort of," Rafe said then pointed at Cedric, "He's got it!" Cedric jumped, terrified.  
  
"W-well, yeah, I've got it," he admitted, "but you can't have it! It's mine!" Uriel stared at him for a moment and then touched his hand to his temples, turning away from the three.  
  
"I feel a great headache coming on," he groaned again, "So what do you want in return?"  
  
"In return for what?" Cedric blinked.  
  
"The egg, you moron," Rafe snapped.  
  
"Oh… the egg. Nothing! It's mine and I want to keep it!" Cedric clutched his breast pocket where the egg was. " I wanna know why you want my egg."  
  
"Ah, you want to know," Uriel sighed, "Let me guess; you want to know what the egg is, why it's giving you a bellyache, and why I want it?"  
  
"Yes, to everything except the bellyache," Cedric answered, a little startled at the wizard's abruptness.  
  
"What? Your stomach hasn't been hurting since you've had it?" Uriel asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"No, is it supposed to?" Cedric scratched his head. Uriel was silent for a moment, studying Cedric's face thoughtfully and then turned around, facing the stairs again.  
  
"Come, we shall talk in my office," he called over his shoulder. Then he waved his hand, indicating that they should follow.  
  
****  
  
Uriel led them up the second story and up several more flights of stairs to a small room that seemed to be positioned at the very peak of the tower.  
  
The room had a very warm and cozy atmosphere, unlike the rest of the cold, stone tower. An elegant settee set complete with polished mahogany coffee table and desk stood on a soft carpeted floor. Many awards and medals hung on the painted walls along with curious looking sculptures on shelves. Behind the desk was a set of double doors made of glass, leading out to a balcony with a glorious view of the mountain range beyond.  
  
Uriel sat down in the chair behind the desk and motioned for them to sit. Cedric looked around, puzzled, trying to locate a chair to sit in, but there were none.  
  
"Oh, forgive me," Uriel said when he noticed Cedric's befuddlement. He waved his hand lightly and suddenly, three chairs appeared out of thin air with a faint "pop." Cedric stared in fascination at the chairs settling down on the floor in front of the desk, thin puffs of smoke fading into the air around them.  
  
Rafe hopped up over the chair with the lowest backrest and slung his legs comfortably over one of the arms. Kalem followed suit and sat down in the chair on the far left. That left Cedric to sit in the center chair directly across from Uriel. He walked over and sat nervously in the plush, cushioned seat.  
  
"So," Uriel began, "you said you wanted information?"  
  
"Well I'd like to know what exactly this egg is," Cedric replied.  
  
"That egg is a magical relic. It is hundreds of years old and has a large amount of magical energy in it." Uriel leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.  
  
"What kind of magical energy?" Cedric asked.  
  
"That I am not sure of, Cedric," he answered earnestly, "I was hoping to find that out."  
  
"So that's why you wanted it!" Cedric stated more than asked.  
  
"Well," Uriel said quickly, "apart from other reasons, yes."  
  
"What other reasons?" Cedric asked eagerly. Uriel glanced up at the ceiling and then back down at Cedric, fidgeting with a paperweight on his desk.  
  
"Like this," he hopped up out of his seat and strode over to a large, bureau-like cupboard nearby. He threw the doors open to reveal shelves of beautifully painted eggs, some encrusted with small gems, but none were as beautiful as Cedric's egg. "It'd make a charming edition to my collection, don't you agree? Easter's coming up!" Uriel flashed him a catlike smile. "I've got almost all of the Romanovs' Faberges!"  
  
"Good lord," Cedric fell back into his chair, "Is he really the most powerful wizard in the world?!"  
  
"He acts like an airhead, doesn't he?" Rafe chortled.  
  
"I heard that," Uriel muttered and returned to his seat. "So, Cedric, now that you've asked your questions, let me ask mine. How did you get this egg?"  
  
"It sounds kind of weird, but this guy was in this alley and these other guys in black attacked him. I went in there and scared them off, but I was too late for the first guy. He was really hurt and bleeding really bad. I don't know who the other guys were; they were all dressed in black and masked so I couldn't see their faces. Well, the first guy, ya know, the guy who was attacked, gave me the egg."  
  
"Wow, he's a real bubblehead," Rafe muttered and nodded to himself.  
  
"This, er, 'first guy,' as you say," Uriel said, "Did he say why he was giving you the egg?"  
  
"He said that it seemed right that I should have it. And he said somethin' about some wings or something." Cedric scratched his head.  
  
"What did he look like?" Uriel pushed on.  
  
"Uh, he had really bright red hair and he looked about in his twenties…" he trailed off and looked at Kalem, then back at Uriel, "Why does this sound familiar? Did you know the guy, too?"  
  
"He was… a friend." Uriel looked down at the desk. "A good friend."  
  
"Oh… I'm sorry," Cedric looked down at his lap as well. "There was no way I could've saved him. He was already wounded and—"  
  
Uriel held up a steady hand to silence him.  
  
"It's all right. I'm not blaming you." He sighed and then looked back up. "Has anything unusual happened ever since you've had the egg in your possession?"  
  
"Well, I've been having some weird dreams. There are these two really, really, pretty girls…" he trailed off at the looks on his listeners' faces, "Ahem! Yeah, anyway, there are these two ladies talking about the end of the world. The blond one wants to save the world, the brunette says the ends comin'. Then the blond one always seems to stare directly at me and ask for my help."  
  
" 'Always'?" Uriel asked, "You've had this dream often?"  
  
"Well, yeah, every night since I've had that egg."  
  
"Then it has started," Uriel said more to himself than to Cedric. "It has started again."  
  
"What? What's started?" Cedric asked confused.  
  
"You say you haven't had any stomach aches since you acquired the egg?" Uriel cut in.  
  
"Uh… no, why do you ask?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," the wizard muttered, frowning slightly. He then raised his eyes to examine Cedric. "Well… if Zaphkiel trusted you enough to give you the egg, you must be the one…"  
  
Cedric stared. "The what? Me? What are you talking about?"  
  
"You must… you must go. You must journey to the Water Temple and seek help from Jibrielle, the high priestess."  
  
"Who?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Jibrielle. She is the priestess of the Water Temple. She will know what to do."  
  
"Wait a sec, I've got a question," Cedric said, "Why are we doing all this? What do I need to learn from this priestess?" Uriel looked at him and nodded.  
  
"You know of the goddess Alexiel and her legend, right? Every hundred years a Child of Purity and a Child of Darkness is chosen from the mortals. They battle to see whether the world shall continue or end. That is what's happening now." Cedric gaped at him.  
  
"I thought it was just a myth! It's really happening?!" he asked in alarm.  
  
"Yes," Uriel answered, "And we've got to find the Child of Purity to prepare him. This egg is a relic made long ago by Alexiel for the Child of Purity. The Child of Darkness has an identical one. Now I need you to take this egg to Jibrielle because she will know what to do with it."  
  
Uriel nodded and muttered more words to himself and then waved his hand in Rafe's direction. "You will accompany him." Rafe fell out of his chair.  
  
"Who-what-where-when-why?!" Rafe squawked in rapid succession. He gaped up at Uriel. "You've gotta be kidding me!"  
  
"No? Then no more cookies for you, Rafe," Uriel answered sternly.  
  
"W-what? No, no! You cannot do this! You—"  
  
"No. More. Cookies." Uriel's face was hard as stone as he articulated each word.  
  
"Okay, okay! I'll go!" Rafe threw his arms up and climbed to his feet. Then he turned around to look at Uriel again. "But you gotta let me have some before we go. I mean, you missed one payment already."  
  
"Your payment is… cookies?" Cedric looked up at Rafe. Then he burst out laughing. "You've gotta be kidding! Cookies?! Cookies?! Good lord! HA HA HA HA!" He rolled around, laughing more.  
  
"Okay," Rafe said, giving him a scary smile, "laugh all you want, pretty boy. You'll see. Come with me!" Rafe threw an arm around Cedric and caught him in a headlock, "Let's go get some cookies and see how well you can resist them!" With that, they dashed out of the office. Kalem looked after his two companions, smiling fondly. Innocent children…  
  
"And what, may I ask, brings you here, Kalem?" Uriel asked quietly from behind him. Kalem turned around slowly and gazed evenly into the wizard's deep emerald eyes. Then he closed his eyes calmly and shrugged.  
  
"I'm just along for the ride."  
  
****  
  
Uriel sat back in his leather armchair. He took a sip of wine from a crystal goblet on his desk and sighed, thinking back to the conversation he had just had with Kalem mere moments ago.  
  
"You cannot interfere, Kalem. Your time has passed. It is forbidden," he told Kalem harshly. Kalem's expression remained unmoved. Then his dark eyes flashed up.  
  
"I don't plan on interfering. I just want to find the Child of Purity. Wasn't that your goal as well?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, that was the reason I wanted the egg. I thought I could track him down, since the egg is attracted to its rightful owner. But circumstances have changed."  
  
"You think it's Cedric, don't you?"  
  
"It could be. Normal humans would feel the correct side effects of the egg, stomach aches and general weakness. But if he is immune to that, he might be the one. But just to be safe, we should not let him know. He should travel to Jibrielle, and she'll do the explaining to him if he is the one and she can confirm it."  
  
"And what if it isn't him?"  
  
"Then…comes the end."  
  
****  
  
"Okay, first we turn left here… and then right at this river… yeah," Cedric read off of the tattered map in his hands. The paper was turning yellow and was difficult to read.  
  
"Are you sure we should leave the navigating to him?" Rafe asked Kalem. "I think he's holding the map upside down."  
  
"Shut up!" Cedric glared at Rafe.  
  
Cedric and his two companions were climbing to the side of a hill. Uriel had given them a map to guide them safely to the Water Temple.  
  
"Gosh… I'm so tired," Rafe complained and flopped down on a large boulder covered with moss. "Are we anywhere near an inn or something?"  
  
"Well," Cedric studied the map again, "Well, the next one up ahead is about… seven miles away. Or we could always go back to the one we just passed, which is four miles back. Or we can travel fifteen miles of our course to the East Coast—" Rafe shook his head.  
  
"Forget it," he sighed, "I'll just walk 'til I drop dead from exhaustion—no, from your idiocy, Cedric! Of course we're not gonna walk fifteen damn miles to some place totally out of our way!"  
  
"Or we can always stay in the town beyond this hill," Kalem called to them from higher up the hill.  
  
Cedric and Rafe scrambled to their feet and hurried up the hill after him. When they reached the top, a modest, peaceful-looking town stood close to the foot of the hill.  
  
"I feel like an idiot," Rafe and Cedric groaned together.  
  
****  
  
Cedric opened his eyes and sat up. He was lying in a soft familiar patch of grass in a beautiful courtyard with fountains and a hedge maze.  
  
Not this dream again, he thought jadedly. He watched the two women exchange words for the umpteenth time.  
  
As the young girl turned to stare at him to send him her usual request for help, she stopped abruptly and stared past him this time. Cedric looked at her puzzled, and then turned around to see what had caught her attention.  
  
To his horror, there was a huge ghastly dragon behind him with three huge black wings. Its large claws were raised high above his head and seemed to be ready to come crashing down at any moment.  
  
Cedric screamed and rolled out of the way just as the humungous claws crushed the ground he had been sitting on moments earlier. He looked frantically up at the girl and her companion, but they were no where in sight. He turned back to the dragon, hoping that it had followed suit, but unfortunately it was still standing in the same spot, its claws retrieved from the ground.  
  
"Oh god!" Cedric cried and ran into the hedge maze. He rushed through winding paths and rolling slopes until he found a small crevice in the hedges and jumped into the thick green wall. It was a hole in the wall and led to another section of the maze.  
  
He curled up in the hedge and tried to keep as still as he could so as not to summon the monster. He turned cautiously to look out the other end of the opening, hoping to find refuge. But before he could crawl an inch, he heard a sound behind him from the other opening of the hedge. He turned his head slowly and looked over his shoulder. There, filling the opening was a bright yellow circle with a deep red slit in the center of it. It was the eye of the beast. They watched each other for a moment, Cedric in pure terror, the monster in hunger, when suddenly it let out a colossal roar.  
  
Cedric screamed, too, and found that he was paralyzed with fright. He was just beginning to think that he would surely die, even though it was only a dream, when someone came from behind him and pulled him through the hedge to the other side. He craned his head around and saw that it was the young girl who had always asked him for help.  
  
"Come with me! Quickly!" she cried and grabbed his arm.  
  
She took his hand in hers and led him across the yard to a small white, alter-like gazebo in the center of it. She sat down on an ivory bench at the top of the steps and pulled him down beside her.  
  
"We'll be safe here, don't worry," she said quietly, still holding onto his hand.  
  
Cedric looked doubtfully around the small gazebo and nodded, even though he was really wondering how they would be safe in a flimsy little building with barely any walls.  
  
The hedge closest to them began to rustle violently. The monster was tearing through the hedge, howling great roars in the process. Cedric looked back at the girl, but she had her eyes closed and seemed to be in some sort of trance. He turned back to the thrashing bushes, realizing that his death was very near when suddenly the shaking stopped.  
  
Instead, a slight rustling commenced from the bushes and a slender figure stepped out of the leaves. The girl's eyes flew open suddenly.  
  
"Get back!" she whispered urgently and shoved Cedric into a large potted plant beside the bench. He tried to stay as still as he could but couldn't seem to keep from shaking. Whoever it was that had just emerged from the bushes seemed to be very frightening and had a dangerous air.  
  
"So," he heard a melodic voice say, "priestess of the Water Temple now are we? Jibrielle, you've come a long way." The voice chuckled delicately. There was something odd about the voice. It was very boyish and could almost pass as a girl's but it belonged to a man. The man spoke in a polite and courteous way, but there was something sinister and dark about his tone.  
  
"What do you want here, Dardylen?" the girl, now known as Jibrielle, asked, "I didn't think you'd have the nerve to show your face here."  
  
"How cold you've grown, my dear Jibrielle," he cooed, "I'm simply visiting to see how you've been faring on your own."  
  
"You've not found your source yet?" Jibrielle said.  
  
"So blunt," he said, "have you forgotten how to treat an old friend? Have you forgotten how we were?"  
  
"You've not found one, that's why you're here," Jibrielle sighed.  
  
Cedric was beginning to get hot in the pot and curious to see what was happening. He carefully rose from his hiding place and looked from behind the leaves. The man, Dardylen, was sitting with his back to the pot so Cedric could not see his face. All he could see was his long mass of wavy, silky silvery hair. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with matching black, tight-fitting pants. He tossed his hair back with an ivory colored hand.  
  
"Of course, my sweet Jibrielle," he leaned forward and touched her cheek, "you know it's got to be you. You're the only one for me. I could never do with another."  
  
"Don't touch me," she said sharply and turned her face away from his hand, "I shall never help you."  
  
"Now don't be stubborn." There was a slight edge to his voice. "I may forget to be nice."  
  
"Hurt me, do what you want," she spat at him, "but I will never be your source."  
  
Dardylen seemed taken aback by this and stood up. Still, Cedric could not see his face. He crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to be trying to think of some way to respond. Then suddenly he bent over her and grabbed her neck with one hand. Cedric noticed that on his right hand, he wore a beautiful ring encrusted with a black gem. The gem had a strange mark that resembled three wings and a cross on it.  
  
"Listen," he snarled dropping his voice, "No one insults Dardylen like this. I will find my source soon. That's for sure. And when I do, you're going to be awfully sorry that you didn't accept my offer when I came to you first!" With that, he pushed her back against the bench and straightened up.  
  
Jibrielle clutched at her neck and looked up at him. He had his hands on his hips and was looking down at her again.  
  
"Jibrielle, high priestess of the Water Temple," he said coldly, "Be sure to watch your back." He turned on his heel and waved a dainty hand at her. She looked down and seemed close to tears.  
  
"Oh, and one more thing," Dardylen paused, his back still turned, "You'd better tell your little boy toy to come out of that pot over there. He might get devoured by those big, nasty worms."  
  
"Cedric…"  
  
"Cedric!"  
  
"Ah! What?" Cedric blinked and squinted at the light coming in from the window. Rafe's worried face was bent over him and speaking.  
  
"God, you scared me," he gasped with relief, "we thought someone was doing voodoo on you or something."  
  
Cedric sat up and looked around. He was in his room at the inn they were staying in. Rafe was sitting on his bed beside him and Kalem was sitting on a chair nearby. Both wore identical expressions of relief but Kalem wiped the expression off quickly and turned away.  
  
"What are you guys doing here? Was I screaming in my sleep?" asked Cedric.  
  
"Yeah, but you weren't just screamin'," Rafe said, "I came in here to knock you out so you'd shut up, but you were burnin' up. I got Kalem in here and we tried to wake you, but you just kept tossing and turning and screaming. Eh—of course, we weren't that worried," he added quickly. Cedric smiled at his friends' concern. There were deep blue pockets under both of their eyes, evidence of their waiting at his side for the whole night.  
  
"So," Kalem said, "why were you screaming? Bad dream?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Cedric admitted sheepishly, "It was the same one I always have, but this time a monster with big black wings popped up and scared the living—"  
  
"A monster with black wings? How many wings did it have?" Kalem looked more serious than usual.  
  
"Three… yeah," Cedric cocked his head back remembering.  
  
"Did he see you? In the dream?" Kalem asked quickly.  
  
"No… but he knew I was there," Cedric said.  
  
"Damn… he knows we're here…" Kalem cursed, "We must leave. Now."  
  
****  
  
The sky was dark and clouded with thick clouds. A fat drop of rain flew down from the sky and splashed on Cedric's nose.  
  
"Ack!" he gasped, "It's starting to rain! Wonderful…"  
  
"Wonderful!" Rafe agreed enthusiastically, "This gives us another reason to stop!"  
  
"We can't stop. Not yet." Kalem's voice was quiet but urgent. "We're not far enough from the last town. He'll be able to track us down if we stop."  
  
"Yeah, and besides, the nearest town is about five miles ahead. We might as well keep going until we reach it," Cedric added, already used to Kalem's mysteriousness. He had questioned him before about this mysterious "He-who-must-not-be-named," but was given no response.  
  
"I dunno about you guys, but my butt's getting really tired," Rafe complained and rubbed his rear, "I don't think this stupid horse likes me much." As if responding to his insult, Rafe's mare began to take off ahead of the other two at a mad gallop.  
  
"Stop! Stop! I'm sorry! Kalem, help!!!" Rafe wailed up ahead.  
  
"What an idiot!" Cedric laughed then turned to Kalem and asked, "Now that he's gone, will you tell me who this guy is that you're so worried about?"  
  
"His name… is Dardylen," Kalem answered.  
  
"Dardylen?! That's the guy from my dream! The one who popped out of the bushes!"  
  
"Dardylen is a dangerous man," Kalem continued, "He wants your egg."  
  
"And if he were to get his girly little hands on it?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Things could get very unhealthy."  
  
As if on cue, a bolt of lightning struck the sky, lighting everything up for a split second and then fading back to its original darkness. Somewhere on the horizon, Cedric could see a small black speck in the sky that seemed to be moving. It grew larger and larger until it resembled a black bird.  
  
"What the…" Cedric strained his eyes to see. Kalem had stopped his horse and seemed to be watching the speck, too. As it drew nearer, Cedric saw that it was a dragon. A humungous dragon flying in the sky—the same he had seen in his dream.  
  
"That's it! The dragon!" Cedric jabbed his finger in the air.  
  
"And he's found us…" Kalem whispered.  
  
The dragon soared down lower and slowed its progress. On its back, there was a small figure standing there. It was Dardylen, the man Cedric had seen in his dream. He was standing casually on the dragon, arms crossed over his chest and leaning all his weight on one leg. His eyes watched Cedric and Kalem carefully. He had a curious expression on his face, snobbish and sinister, his mouth smirking slightly.  
  
Cedric and Kalem did nothing but watch him as he sailed over their heads. He circled them a couple of rounds and then, tossing his hair, he sailed away opposite of where he had come from. Cedric turned to look at Kalem.  
  
"That was him. But he didn't do anything. He didn't hurt us."  
  
"Don't be so naïve, Cedric," Kalem eyed the hills around him uneasily, "he's got something up his sleeve."  
  
Again, as if on cue, the ground shook and rumbled under them. Their horses whinnied and reared in fear. Kalem jumped off his steed and landed lightly on his feet, sword drawn and held ready.  
  
A dark, cloaked figure rose from the ground before them out of the very shadow that lay there. He raised his head and pulled his hood down to reveal a young man with a sharp-featured face and longish, pale, blond hair. His eyes were light blue and had a sorrowful look in them.  
  
"Lord Dardylen wishes for the egg in your possession," he spoke softly in a deep voice, "Please give it here. You will not be harmed." He held his hand out, palm up.  
  
"Oh puh-lease!" Cedric rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in exasperation, "Do you really expect us to obey you? Ya better think twice! This is my egg! I'm not givin' it up so easily!" The stranger bowed his head.  
  
"Then you leave me with no choice. Prepare yourselves for combat."  
  
"Bring it on!" Cedric challenged. He crouched into a defensive stance, eyes alert and waiting. Kalem came up by his side and did the same.  
  
The young man brought his hands up and chanted some foreign words quietly and then made stranger gestures in the air with his hands. A circle of dark, towering silhouettes came around Cedric, Kalem, and the stranger. They slowly materialized into grotesquely deformed ogres, the smallest of them at least eight feet tall and five feet wide.  
  
Cedric gasped and looked at Kalem. He did not return the gaze but kept his eyes steadily on the large monsters.  
  
"I'll take the beasts, you get the blond," he said quietly to Cedric who nodded in agreement.  
  
Without a warning, Kalem lunged at the ogres, sword raised high, and sliced down on the closest one. It quivered for a moment, paralyzed in its stance and then burst into a bloody mess. Entrails plopped down on the ground at Kalem's feet and he turned to face the other ogres.  
  
"Who's next?" His eyes were black and cold.  
  
The ogres all stared at their comrade's severed body for a moment and then roared with rage. They charged at Kalem who leaped into the air, gracefully flipping backwards away from the cluster of ogres.  
  
Cedric watched with transfixed fascination as Kalem fought the ogres with much skill. He saw Rafe galloping up to the bunch and jump off his horse.  
  
"They're doing fine on their own. Let us take our fight elsewhere," a voice came from behind Cedric and before he knew it, he felt himself being lifted off his feet. He flew up several feet into the air and was soon sailing high above the hills and trees away from his friends. He turned around to see who was carrying him and saw the stranger.  
  
"W-where are you taking me?! Lemme go!" he struggled in the stranger's firm hold.  
  
"Do not struggle unless you wish to fall to your doom," the stranger said. Cedric obeyed and stopped his struggling.  
  
They finally descended to a small plateau with a few dry bushes and shrubs. Once his feet touched the ground, Cedric wriggled out of the stranger's grip and jumped several feet away. He whirled to face the stranger.  
  
"Let us begin our battle," the stranger said.  
  
"Let's!" Cedric agreed and prepped himself for a charge.  
  
****  
  
End of Part 2  
  
Did you like it? PLEASE REVIEW THEN!!! It was all your great reviews for the first chapter that got this one out! Keep up the reviews!!! Don't forget to recommend it to others!!! 


	3. The Final Battle

Chapter 3 "The Final Battle" Cedric lunged forward at the stranger and swung his fist at him. The man side stepped quickly and whipped out his sword. "This isn't right," he said, "You need a weapon." "What?" Cedric said startled, "So you're a fair bad guy?" "I have honor. I will not fight unless the fight is a fair one." "Geez," Cedric grumbled. He dug around in his pocket and pulled out the only thing half-suited to be used as a weapon-the jeweled egg. "All right, I've got a weapon now, happy?" The stranger stared blankly at the egg. "It's still considered a weapon," Cedric said, "It's got lots of magical power." "If you wish it that way," the stranger said. He lunged forward with his sword. Cedric was about to move out of the way but something stopped him. He felt the egg growing hot and it began to quiver. It emitted a golden light so bright that Cedric had to shield his eyes with his arm. When he opened his eyes, he found that instead of holding the egg in his hands, he now gripped the hilt of a beautiful sword. Its hilt was decorated in a fashion similar to the egg and its blade was sharp enough to slice a hair in half. He looked up to find the stranger staring at him in shock. "Well," he smirked, "I guess I do have a weapon now." The stranger recovered from his surprise and swung his sword at Cedric. Cedric brought his sword up quickly to block the blow. The sword was light and easy to handle but had an immense strength and power at the same time. Their swords met with a loud clang and a few sparks flew around. Cedric tried to cut to the side, but the stranger spun around too and brought his sword around to block it. "You're pretty good," Cedric admitted, still smirking mischievously, "ya got a name?" "Dameon," he answered softly and then swung his sword to the other side for a sweep. "Nice to meet you, Dameon. I'm Cedric," Cedric blocked and jumped backwards. He landed gracefully on a rock, but he didn't notice that it was at the very edge of the plateau. The rock crumbled from under his weight and he lost his balance, falling backwards. He rolled down the side of the plateau, bumping into every rock and boulder on the way down. Somewhere along the way, he dropped his sword. When he finally reached the bottom, he slammed into a trunk of a tree. He groaned and tried to sit up, but he was in an awkwardly twisted position and couldn't bring his arms around him. Dameon came down the plateau and stood a few yards in front of Cedric. "It was an honor battling with you, Cedric," he bowed his head, "But this is where our battle ends." His eyes were steady but there was no coldness about them. They still had a mournful look to them as if he didn't want to kill Cedric. But still, he raised his sword with one hand, high in the air.  
  
As Dameon brought his sword down, Cedric closed his eyes, waiting for the blade to slice him. He waited and felt light wind on his face. His eyes flew open and he saw Kalem standing in front of him, his sword blocking Dameon's blow. "K-Kalem!" Cedric cried gratefully. "Save your thanks for later!" Kalem thrust his sword at Dameon. They continued to fight while Cedric sat watching. Kalem's shirt was ripped a little and he noticed a strange-looking tattoo on Kalem's chest. It looked like three wings and a cross. Where have I seen that mark before? Cedric wondered and tried to remember. But his attention shifted back to the fight. Kalem's skill was obviously more advanced than Dameon's. While he advanced forward, swinging his sword relentlessly, Dameon was doing all he could just to block Kalem's swift blows but still, he received a large series of cuts. Dameon tripped over a large branch as he was staggering backwards and fell down, his sword flying out of his hand. Kalem stood over him now with his sword raised. They didn't exchange any words; they merely watched each other. Dameon didn't look the least bit scared, but seemed to be waiting bravely for his life to end. Kalem's face was expressionless. Then suddenly, he lowered his blade and glanced around warily. The black dragon appeared again from behind the thick clouds and dove down right at Kalem who hurled himself out of the way. Dardylen stepped down from the dragon and strode over to where Dameon was sitting on the ground. He stared down his nose at him with contempt. "You've failed me again, Dameon," he said in his feminine-ish voice, "This is simply unacceptable." "Forgive me, Lord Dardylen," Dameon bowed down at his feet and exposed his neck to Dardylen. Dardylen kicked him hard in the chest. "I'm not going to kill you, fool," he said, annoyed. "Get up." Dameon obeyed and got to his feet swiftly, but painfully. Dardylen led him back to the dragon. They climbed on and the dragon began to flap its wings. Dardylen turned around to look at Cedric and Kalem and said, "You've not seen the last of me! I will be back to claim that egg!" He paused and stared at Kalem as though seeing him for the first time. "You," he half- gasped. Then his expression changed to one full of malice. "Why are you here? Are you actually trying to help the Child of Purity win? Naughty, naughty!" he shook his dainty finger at him. "You're not allowed to interfere with the games this round. You've had your turn!" Cedric turned to look at Kalem, confused. "What's he talking about?" he asked. But Kalem kept his eyes on Dardylen. "You haven't told him?!" Dardylen gasped exaggeratedly and brought his delicate fingers to his lips lightly and pretended to be shocked, "Oh dear, well let me enlighten you, boy! Your 'friend' Kalem, here, is more appropriately one of my minions. In fact, it has always been his destiny to seek the end of the world. You see, he was the Child of Darkness in the last Duel!" He raised his right hand and showed them the ring on his finger with the wings and cross. Cedric froze. He glanced frantically at Kalem and saw on his chest, that strange tattoo again and realized that it was the same emblem that Dardylen had on his ring. It was the mark of the Child of Darkness. **** "Kalem." Cedric managed to say. "It's. not true." Kalem didn't turn to look at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rafe coming up over the plateau a little distance away. Kalem continued to stare off after Dardylen as the black dragon grew tiny in the distance. Cedric ran over to him in desperation and grabbed his shoulders to make him turn to face him. "No! It's not true!" he cried at Kalem. "You're not really. are you?"  
  
Kalem finally turned to look at him. His eyes were completely flat and unreadable. "The mark on my chest is indeed what Dardylen says it is, Cedric," he said, in an oddly emotionless voice. "The brand given to those who are born to seek the death of the world and all those in it." Cedric stared and slowly released Kalem's shoulders. Tears streamed down his face like an ongoing flow of a river. He shook his head and screamed, "It's can't be true, Kalem! After all we went through together! You came with me this far! You helped me! You saved my life! We're friends! Friends." His voice trailed away as Kalem turned away from him and slowly sheathed his blade. "You lied." Cedric's shock and desperation was now replaced by the fury of one who has been betrayed. "You lied to me! All that. you came all this way just to bring me to Dardylen?" He backed away from him, glaring accusingly. Kalem stared back at him and then stepped forward. "Cedric, listen-" Kalem began, but was cut off . "Oh, hell!" Cedric interrupted fiercely, "You've been faking it all along. Telling me to protect this egg so that no one could get it but Dardylen. I know what you're getting at! You wanted to get close to me-to gain my trust so that you could stab me in the back when the time came! You were going after the egg all along! Well," he chuckled bitterly, "you sure did a good job. Acting like some hero here to help this stupid, little boy, huh? Yeah, you sure had me-you must've been laughing at me this whole time, at how gullible I was. Well, I was wrong and I know it now! You traitor!" His voice rang out in the silence following his outburst. Kalem merely looked down, avoiding Cedric's eyes. "You see the mark and you will not even listen to me." He seemed angry now. "Cedric, you're being a fool!" "I don't give a damn about what you've got to say!" Cedric wiped his tears away angrily. "Get away from me, Kalem! I never, ever want to see you again!" With that, he turned on his heel and fled away to the hills, picking up his sword on the way. Rafe, having just arrived, looked bewilderedly after Cedric and then turned back to Kalem who just stared down at the ground. He hesitated for a moment and then ran after Cedric, concerned. Kalem finally looked up and watched his companions disappear into the distance. "Let them go, Dark One," Dardylen said, emerging from the shadows behind him. "You do not belong with them. They are of Purity. You are one of Darkness." He placed his hands around the taller man's shoulders and pulled him towards him. "Come back with me," he whispered. "Let us fulfill the prophecy and claim the glory of ending this world that should have been ours a hundred years ago. You and I, we should have-" But before he could continue, Kalem strode out of his grasp. Dardylen glared at him. "You fool!" he shouted at his still back. "You cannot change your destiny or that of this world! No matter what foolish ideas have been put in your head, you cannot change who you are!" He tossed his head back and laughed spitefully. "You see, in the end you will always be shunned. Be thankful that I shall end your suffering and the suffering of all the world soon." When Kalem looked up, Dardylen was gone along with his dragon. The rain began to fall relentlessly on his head. "Soon comes a storm." he whispered. **** Cedric stared glumly out an open flap in the covered wagon at the rain. The remnants of violent anger still boiled under his skin, but a deep lethargy and listlessness had settled over him. Even though it had been two days since they had left Kalem, the bitter aftertaste of betrayal still stung at him. The wagon stopped and after a moment Rafe came in from the driver's seat to join him. "Lunch time," Rafe said. He untied a bag and brought out a slab of cheese and two loaves of bread. "Ya hungry?" "No," Cedric replied childishly. "Don't be such a baby, Ced," Rafe grinned and tossed the loaf of bread onto Cedric's lap. "We'll be at the temple in a few hours. You're probably gonna want to be ready and alert then. I hear the priestess is a real sight to see," he added grinning. Cedric made no response to his friend's good-natured attempts. "Come on, Cedric." Rafe sat down beside him. "You gotta forget about all that. It's over, gone. There's nothin' you can do about it, so why worry? The egg's still safe and we're fine." As Cedric continued to say nothing, Rafe sighed and decided to breach the tabooed subject that was on both their minds. "You know you'll meet Kalem again one day. When all this crud is over. And maybe when you do, you guys can settle your differences and be friends again." "I don't want to be his friend," Cedric pouted. "I want him to disappear!" "Hey," Rafe scolded, "be nice. You might get what you wish for." "Whatever," Cedric rolled his eyes, then sighed. "I'm sorry, Rafe. I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything. it's just I feel so .betrayed. it really hurts a lot." He felt the hot tears gathering in his eyes again. Why do these tears have to come? he thought, angrily brushing them away with his sleeves. "Hey," Rafe said gently, "don't worry about it. I'm not hacked off or anything." He put his hand on the smaller boy's shoulder and smiled at him. "Don't worry 'bout it." "Thanks, Rafe" Cedric looked up and choked down a sob, "for being my friend." **** The Water Temple was one of the most beautiful buildings Cedric had ever seen in his life. Its tall stone pillars and steps were made of white marble. The rest of the temple was painted cobalt blue. "Now that's one gorgeous temple!" Cedric whistled in appreciation. "Well, that's one gorgeous chick!" Rafe whistled too. Cedric looked at Rafe who was staring stupidly to the right. He followed his gaze and saw the girl he had seen so many times in his dreams. Her long blond hair was tied up in knots and her unmistakable blue eyes were watching them as they watched her. It was the priestess of the Water Temple, Jibrielle. **** "J-Jibrielle," Cedric stammered. Jibrielle looked slightly startled that he knew her by name but regained her composure. "What brings you to the Water Temple, weary travelers?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle. "I want to know what to do about, uh," Cedric dug around in his pockets and pulled out the sword that had been the egg, "this." She stared at the sword in shock and walked briskly up to them. "Where did you get this?" she asked. Cedric, for the third time, relayed the story of how the egg had gotten into his possession. "Dreams? You've been receiving the dreams?" Jibrielle looked puzzled. "How could you? I've been sending them out to the Child of Purity." she eyed him curiously. "Then you, you are the one! The Child of Purity!" Her face lit in a beautiful smile. "What?" Cedric was stunned. "Me? No, lady, you've got your messiahs crossed. I don't even have any special powers or magic. I can't be the Child of Purity." "Oh, but you are! The jeweled egg changed its form for you and you alone. It would not have done that if you were not the One." Cedric was shocked. He did not know how to respond. It had never occurred to him that the egg had been given to him for such an important reason. "If I am, what must I do to save the world?" he asked. Jibrielle smiled warmly and took his hands in hers. "Come with me, we will prepare you for the Duel." **** Jibrielle led Cedric and Rafe to a small room deeper within the temple's walls. She sat down at the single desk and dug around in the drawers. She pulled out a roll of ancient looking parchment and a pair of large spectacles which she put on. The spectacles filled up three-quarters of her face and made her eyes look inhumanly large. She studied the parchment and then looked up at Cedric. "Are you familiar with the conditions of the Duel?" she asked. "What conditions?" he asked puzzled. "Each player, the Child of Purity and the Child of Darkness, are allowed a source to enhance their powers. The closer the source is to the player, the stronger the player becomes. Have you thought of anyone to be your source?" For a moment, the painful image of Kalem flashed in Cedric's mind. He shook his head irritably to banish the thought, then looked at Rafe. "Rafe," he said seriously, "will you do me the honor of being my source?" "Aw, everything but the ring and flowers," Rafe said sarcastically. Cedric blinked and stared at him. "I'll be your source, okay?!" "Thanks!" Cedric embraced Rafe affectionately. Rafe made some sort of an "ugh" sound. "The Duel should begin whenever the two players are ready. So, do you want to start the Duel? If so, you must find the Child of Darkness and confront him." "No need, Jibrielle," a voice said from a dark corner in the room. Dardylen materialized into view with Dameon at his side. "I've chosen my source," he smiled maliciously, "and so have you. The rules say we can begin, so I challenge you right now, Child of Purity!" Cedric tensed up; he was definitely not ready to fight this Duel now.  
  
Jibrielle must have been thinking the same thing, as her expression looked worried. "But Dardylen," she began. "Too late to protest, Jibrielle," Dardylen said, looking triumphant. "The eggs have been gathered, the sources have been chosen, and the Challenge has been issued. You know the rules-we must Duel." Jibrielle looked defeated. "It is as you say," she said soberly. "All right, then. At dawn, let the Duel begin." **** That night, Cedric stumbled into bed dead tired. Even though Jibrielle had warned him about saving his strength for the following day, he had insisted that she teach him everything she could about how to use the magical power of his sword and he and Rafe had practiced joining their spirits to increase Cedric's power. They had been doing well, but Cedric now found that he felt extremely exhausted and still doubtful for the following day. Despite his fatigue, Cedric found it hard to sleep. For some reason, thoughts of Kalem kept coming to him again and again, and the painful emotions that lay unresolved about the dark-haired man tormented Cedric away from any rest. In his mind, Kalem smiled at him as he had at their first meeting. His eyes. Cedric thought, giving up and allowing his mind to float where it would. Something about him made me trust him, made me believe in him. How could I have been so wrong? Finally, frustrated, Cedric sat up and lit a candle. He was about to get up for a glass of water when there was a knock at his door. He got up and opened the door to see Rafe standing in the hallway. "Couldn't sleep either?" the blonde boy asked grinning. "Heh, the sheep are all stampeding on me tonight." He looked down at his feet for a moment and then said, "Worried about tomorrow?" Cedric gulped. "Yeah." "Well. hey, look at it this way! No Child of Purity has ever lost before!" Cedric groaned. "What if I'm the first? Anyway, it only takes one to end the world, remember?" Rafe made a face. "Geh. you worry too much! I mean. the Children of Purity must have some kind of advantage. I mean, look at it this way-even Kalem lost!" His companion looked up at him, puzzled. "That's true." he said slowly. "I can't even imagine it. How could Kalem lose to anyone in a swordfight? His skill is incredible!" "Oh, it had nothing to do with skill!" Rafe snorted. At Cedric's questioning glance, he exclaimed, "Don't tell me you don't know what happened!" "What happened?" Cedric asked, his curiosity growing. "Ahh. I can feel a history lesson from Uri coming back," Rafe said, clearing his throat. "Well, since Uriel was there, I assume he gave a pretty accurate description of what happened. He said that the Child of Darkness was winning; he had the poor guy pretty sliced up. But, at the last moment, when he was about to deliver the finishing blow, something distracted him for a moment-just long enough for the Child of Purity to run him through!" "Run him through?" Cedric looked alarmed. "Then. then how is it that Kalem's alive now?" "I don't know exactly," Rafe confessed. "But Uriel said something about how spirits who are very powerful and have some unfinished business are able to reincarnate as themselves again." "Unfinished business?" Cedric murmured. "You mean to spy on me and help Dardylen win tomorrow?" Rafe sighed. "Stop it, Ced," he said. "You're just hurting yourself thinking like that. Look, I've known Kale for a while. Never knew he was the Child of Darkness before, or whatever until a few days ago, but even after that, I can't believe he's a bad guy." "That's what I thought too," Cedric interrupted angrily. "But it's wrong, everything he did was only to bring me as soon as he could into Dardylen's claws. And it worked too. Now I've gotta face that freak after only knowing I'm the Child of Purity for one day!" "If you're worried about the Duel. look, Cedric, what I came to tell you was that. that you don't need to be worried about tomorrow. You're incredible. You might not have noticed, but you're an amazing fighter! I could hardly believe how you were handling that Dameon guy back there." He shook his head in admiration. "You will win, Cedric. I'd bet my life on that!" Cedric stared at Rafe as if he were seeing something very beautiful for the very first time. "Thank you, Rafe," he said sincerely. "You don't know how much this means to me." "Well you know me," Rafe grinned mischievously again. "I'm always kissin' up to the big guys!" He paused for a moment and then held his arms out to Cedric. "Aw, c'mere, you!" They held each other in a brotherly embrace and laughed afterwards. "Just remember," Rafe said before he left, "whatever happens, I'll be right behind ya, okay? You're not alone, Ced. I'll be there." "Thanks, Rafe," Cedric smiled, feeling more cheerful than he had in days. "Thanks." But after Rafe left, Cedric felt the gnawing absence of another friend even more. **** Just before the crack of dawn, Jibrielle came to collect Cedric and Rafe from the chamber they had been breakfasting in. She led them to a grand courtyard behind the temple where Dardylen and Dameon were already waiting. "Slept well, I see," Dardylen drawled snobbishly, noting the bags under both Cedric's and Rafe's eyes. Rafe advanced toward him, but Cedric caught him by the arm and held him back. "Naughty, naughty," Dardylen pretended to be shocked again, "no one can harm either of the two Children except the other once the Duel's begun." Jibrielle nodded. "After the Duel begins, neither I nor the sources can join the battle." She took a deep breath and turned her clear blue eyes to Cedric. "Are you prepared?" Cedric swallowed and nodded. "Then," Jibrielle said, trying to smile encouragingly. "Sources, take your sides." Dameon walked off to the far end of the courtyard on Dardylen's side and Rafe went to the end behind Cedric. Both closed their eyes and began focusing their energy on their players. "May the Duel begin!" Jibrielle stepped back onto an altar in front of the courtyard. Without hesitation, Dardylen pulled out his egg and turned it to a sword. He lunged at Cedric who rolled out of the way and took his sword out as well. They clashed swords in a fast, furious match. Time and again, their swords met, the clangs of metal echoing throughout the courtyard. Cedric tried to stay as focused as possible and call upon the innate fighting skill he had been born with to defeat his opponent. But Dardylen seemed to be quite adept at sword-fighting, himself. His sophisticated style hinted that he had also been formally trained in fencing. The two fought for quite a while, nearly equally matched. Cedric began to feel hopeful; he was a better match for Dardylen than he'd thought. With Rafe's energy flowing into him and acting almost as a second set of eyes to watch his foe's blade, Cedric felt powerful and alert. He decided to take a chance. He lunged forward, committing himself fully to the force of the thrust to try to break through Dardylen's defenses. However, this was the chance Dardylen had been waiting for; instead of clashing head on with Cedric, he angled his blade so that Cedric's powerful stab would glance off to one side, leaving Cedric's back open for attack as he sprawled forward. Dardylen's smiled widened viciously as he drew back to sink his sword into his opponent, but realizing what he would do, Rafe sent a burst of energy that propelled Cedric backward, back up in time to block Dardylen's attack with his own sword. However, caught a bit off guard, the force of the Child of Darkness's blow knocked Cedric's sword out of his hand. Before he could retrieve it, Dardylen barred his way and came up close to him, the tip of his blade at Cedric's throat. "And so, the world ends for you humans," he purred in Cedric's ear. He moved back and gripped his sword. Cedric stared up into his cold, blue eyes. This can't be the end.! But. how can I get out of this one? He heard Rafe cry out behind him, the link between them splintering as his concentration wavered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jibrielle turn away, her eyes closed. Cedric turned back just in time to see Dardylen's eyes flash evilly as he thrusted his sword forwards. This is it.! Cedric thought in horror, just as a bright flash blinded everyone for a split second. When Cedric opened his eyes, rather than being impaled, he was alive and well. Confused, he looked up-and screamed. Kalem was standing in front of him, Dardylen's sword stabbed all the way through his chest. "NO!" Cedric screamed. "Kalem!" Dardylen drew his sword back, looking both shocked and annoyed. Cedric caught Kalem as he crumpled to his knees. "Why?!" he cried out. "Why did you do this?" "No one. can enter the Duel once it's begun, so. this was the only way I could. help you." Cedric stared at him in amazement. Kalem grinned. "You didn't listen to what. I had to say, Cedric," he choked out. "I wanted to tell you that my intentions have always been to help you. not deceive you. I'm sorry it seemed that way. I. wanted to repent for what I'd done. I tried to destroy the world a hundred years ago. The memory's as fresh in my mind as ever." "But. why? If you were the Child of Darkness-" "That," Kalem interrupted, "was not my choice. I let destiny move me along, even though, deep in my heart, I didn't want to destroy everyone. That's why. that's why I let the Child of Purity strike me down in the end." "What?!" Cedric cried. "You mean you stopped on purpose?" Kalem nodded weakly. "It wasn't until that moment, when I knew for sure that I would win, that the world would end, that I had the strength to stand up and defy destiny. I realized, despite all the things I had done, it was not too late to stop it." "But. but why did you come back to suffer then?" Cedric whispered. "You saved us." "From immediate destruction, yes," Kalem murmured. "But not from him." He nodded his head in disgust at Dardylen, who was watching the exchange silently from behind them. "He. he was my source back then," Kalem continued in a bitter whisper. "He. stole the Sword of Darkness back then, took it out of my dying hands. With it, he became a dark creature-what you see today. He. has known about the Duel this entire century, prepared for it, to end the world. I. couldn't let him have that advantage." "Well," Dardylen spoke up for the first time. "You can see how little good you've done. I'll still win, and you, you shall die defeated again! It is destiny, don't you understand?" Cedric nodded numbly. "That prophecy Alexial kept talking about." Kalem shook his head slowly, a light returning to his eyes. "No," he whispered with a note of confidence. "Cedric. you aren't afraid to stand up against destiny. like me. I knew that the first time I saw you. Except. you were strong enough to do it from the start. You're stronger than me, and I know that you can win. That's why. I had to come back." Kalem flashed him a grin, but his eyes had become distant. "I. believe in you, Cedric." "Kalem!" Cedric whispered. "No! Don't die! You can't die now." he choked. "You just can't!" "Of course I can, Cedric," Kalem smiled, "I've done what I needed to do now." "I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, Kalem," Cedric whispered, letting the tears flow openly now. "Don't worry, Cedric," Kalem comforted him. "We'll. meet again one day. I promise." "Kalem." Cedric looked down at Kalem, but his eyes were glazed and lifeless. "Kalem. no. no. NO!" His scream shattered the peaceful silence of the early morning. "Dead as a doornail, huh?" Dardylen laughed. "What a fool he was. He had the chance to end all of mankind yet he gave it up at his Duel. How weak. How pathetic." "You," Cedric rose slowly to his feet, "are such a bastard!" "Tears? Aw," Dardylen laughed harder, "don't worry. Now that it's my turn, I'll be sure to right the wrongs. I'll send you to oblivion to join him. You, and all of pathetic, listless mankind!" "No!" Cedric screamed at him. "That's wrong! Mankind doesn't deserve to end. Not all humans are bad!" He rose and pointed a trembling finger at Kalem's body. "He showed me that! This trip showed me that! Humans like Kalem, and Rafe, and Uriel-they're all unimaginably good; they're loyal and kind and know how to care about each other! They were all willing to fight for humankind, to give everyone a chance to live, even those who are weak and petty. People like them are what make life so beautiful, and what makes me willing to believe in mankind, too. For people like them, I won't let you destroy this world!" He jumped to his feet, sword in hand, and charged at Dardylen. Dardylen readied his sword and charged as well. I believe in you, Cedric, he heard Rafe's and Kalem's voices, intermingled, call to him. As Cedric rapidly approached Dardylen, he gave one mighty swing of his sword and cut straight through Dardylen's sword and body. With a gasp of disbelief, Dardylen's sword dropped to the ground and reverted to its egg form. The Duel was over. Cedric had won. Cedric dropped his own sword and collapsed beside Dardylen's severed body and panted for air. Rafe and Dameon came running to them from opposite sides of the courtyard. Dameon fell to his knees beside Dardylen's body and held it close to him. "Again I have failed you, my lord," he closed his eyes and tears fell. Rafe threw himself down beside Cedric and hugged him tightly. "You did it!" he whispered, "you did it!" "Rafe," Cedric said, "I think I understand now. I understand what's been bothering me my whole life. What the meaning of life is. I think I know it now. The reason people are allowed to live is because we possess a very special ability. We possess the ability to feel emotions and to share them with others. Compassion, kindness, generosity. love. We feel and distribute all of those things. On this journey, I learned so many things. I learned what true friendship is; I learned loyalty and bravery. I learned that the world isn't meant to be fought in, but to be loved in. And. that, no matter what, there is always a ray of hope-no matter how discouraging the future is." Rafe blinked at him in confusion, then slowly let an affectionate smile spread over his face. "You are so full of it, Ced," he chuckled as Cedric buried his face in his shoulder for one more embrace. "You have done very well, Cedric," Jibrielle said as she approached them. "As long as humans remember what the true light of life is-remember what justice, courage, love, and hope are- they shall live on." "Yeah." Cedric grinned. "Hope. that's what Kalem gave to me." "And what you gave, Cedric," Jibrielle said, smiling warmly. "What you gave to everyone."  
  
~The End~ 


End file.
